Blog Hiatus

Hindi Hollywood is going on hiatus for the summer while I take a holiday and ultimately try to plot the next move/possible expansion.

New York, New Bollywood

Despite its high cost, Manhattan is attracting Indian film producers, keen on shooting there to appeal to their country's fascination with foreign locales. Reuters says the big city offers easy access to resources like Indian extras, trained Indian dancers and Indian production teams. Apparently, nine mainstream Bollywood films have been shot in New York since 2003 (eight of them since 2006, with two more set for production). They include this month's film New York. The big budget Indian film production companies are shooting with backdrops of the Brooklyn Bridge and Grand Central Station for costs of $12 to $15 million.

Denise Richards in Bollywood

Photo Copyright Mirror U.K.

As we all know from previous Hindi Hollywood posts, the new film Kambakkht Ishq is a big deal. It's the first large budget Bollywood movie to star B'wood A-listers like Akshay Kumar alongside big Hollywood stars like Sylvester Stallone (and dare we say, Denise Richards). The Daily Mirror UK has the trashy scoop on Richards' on-screen smooch with Kumar. The tabloid quotes the actress as saying of the Bollywood heartthrob:

"He made me feel very comfortable, plus he's a good kisser. I can see why he's India's sexiest actor!"

She adds:

"I had a great experience and hope to do another Bollywood movie, it was an honor to be part of this film."

Imax to China...Then India?

Imax just announced a three picture deal with Huayi Brothers (China's largest studio). Under it, Imax gets its first foreign language films. Finding a partner, says California Chronicle, was crucial for its expansion into the Asian market. The restrictive Chinese government only chooses about 20 foreign films to show in its local theatres each year. With this deal, even if Imax's films aren't chosen, it still gains locally produced Imax movies.

The company also recognizes India as another market with huge potential. It has six theatres there, along with contracts for four additional theatres. This July it will install its first digital projector at a Mumbai theatre (run by a unit of Reliance). If the Huayi Brothers alliance is lucrative, Imax will consider using this model for a connection to the Bollywood film industry.

Bollywood Sister Takes Off on Own USA Network Show

Reshma Shetty, who happens to be the sister of Bollywood starlets Shilpa and Sharmita, is currently co-starring in the USA Network's brand new show Royal Pains. The show follows a doctor who recently lost his hospital job due to a scandal. He is thus forced to take matters into his own hands and on his brother's suggestion goes to find private clients in New York's ritzy Hamptons beachfront area. Whether anyone in recession-stricken America still wants to watch TV shows about obscenely affluent people remains to be seen in the ratings. Even the show's executive VP of marketing, digital and branding strategy Chris McCumber is quoted as telling AdAge:

"...we were concerned at launch whether people would want to watch a show about rich people. But pairing this with Burn Notice made for a great duo."

According to AdAge, after two episodes Royal Pains has already grown its audience by 2% in the 18-49 age group and by 3% in the 25-54 group.

According to E! Online, Shetty's somewhat peripheral "comic relief" character is also about to bust a move into more plot-central territory. The Britain-raised actress' character Divya will supposedly get into a car crash. Of course Dr. Hank (Mark Feuerstein) will save the day. Coincidentally, Shetty was born into a family of doctors!

"Big B" and "Little B" Both in China Promoting Film

Photo Copyright The Hollywood Reporter

It's all happening in China now. First the "Big B" in Macau and now Danny Boyle at the Shanghai Film Festival. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the director is keeping quiet about whether his next project will take him to India again. We know he's optioned the rights to Suketu Mehta's book Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. But Boyle is telling THR that this will likely not be his first project in a three-picture deal with Fox Searchlight and Pathe.

As he set out for the Shanghai Film Festival, Boyle stopped in Beijing and Hong Kong where he met up with an old friend from school. He is quoted as saying:

"There's an appetite for cinema in Asia that Hollywood doesn't recognize yet."

Could Mandarin Hindi Hollywood be the next big global cinema initiative? We'll sit tight and see.

Leo or Depp to Star in Karri Mobster Movie?

Photo Copyright Warner Bros. Pictures

Nagendra Karri (Where are You Sophia?) is working on his second movie, Mobster, and he tells The Times of India that he's in talks with heavyweights Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio for potential roles. Bollywood actors like Neil Nitin Mukesh will also allegedly be cast. The 26-year-old director apparently studied computer science in the U.S. And he says he got absolutely no support from Indian film directors when he started on his path.

He is quoted as saying:

"Most Indian filmmakers say that they are making a Hollywood movie even before they’ve started it. My goal is to finish the film first and then talk about it.”

Let's hope Karri doesn't plan on shooting in India--if Depp is his man. As we've all heard by now, Captain Jack has shied away from filming in India after he heard stories of Brad Pitt and Angelina's negative experience related to their bodyguards.